The field of strategic and organization management is currently facing a number of new challenges which find their origins in the restless dynamics of environmental change and firms strategic action and thinking. As a result, we need to adapt and integrate existing theoretical lenses and conceptual categories or develop entirely new ones. In this vein, we propose the study of coopetition as a new category in strategy analysis. Whereas the eighties and nineties have been characterized by relevant developments in both competitive and cooperative perspectives intended as different research streams, the new millennium is exposing us to a new and, rather paradoxical, strategic behaviour known under the label of ‘coopetition strategy’. Coopetition strategy urges us to revisit thoroughly the concepts of both competition and cooperation in strategic management. Whereas competitive models mainly focus on rent appropriation strategies and cooperation frameworks mainly focus on collective strategies for rent generation, coopetition urges firms to learn new and unexpected ways to both strategically interact and seek for rents. Coopetition highlights the need to overcome the oversimplified framework at the base of conventional approaches and proposes a description of more complex market structures where cooperation and competition merge together to form a new perspective. By widening the conventional boundaries of the two more familiar categories of competition and cooperation, coopetition challenges the traditional framework addressing the surge of complexity of actors’ roles, strategies, objectives, processes and rent seeking behaviours.

By proposing this research theme to the academic community in management, we acknowledge that – although it is pretty diffused in practice and some research is currently being done on it – the study of coopetition is at the very beginning of its lifecycle. To advance the investigation in this direction and to construct a sound theoretical body on coopetition strategy, we need to explore, apply and confront both theoretical frames and empirical work possibly stemming from several strategic perspectives: industrial organization economics, transaction cost economics, resource-based and capability theory, knowledge-based theory, game-theory, network theory, neo-institutional theory and others. Research based on sociological theory and historical scrutiny is much welcome. Papers offering interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary reflections are also encouraged.

By suggesting the following questions on coopetition strategy regìme, we affirm the necessity to foster our understanding of new interfirm strategic dynamics and to establish a solid ground for further research on this topic of great relevance and interest for both practitioners and academics: What is the ‘real’ nature of coopetition? What are the determinants of the emergence and development of interfirm coopetition? What types of coopetition can we define? Are the determinants of interfirm coopetition related to different types of coopetition? If so, how are they related? What are the critical issues related to the management of coopetition? What kind of strategic theoretical perspective(s) or integration of perspectives is(are) the most well-suited to analyse and understand coopetition? Which kind of learning do firms experience under coopetition? What are the most interesting business cases of coopetition strategy? What are the most appropriate theoretical lenses to analyse them?

Proposals for papers should include the title, an abstract or draft paper, the name, affiliation(s) and address of the author(s), a fax number and e-mail address. Abstracts will be considered, but priority will be given to completed papers, which must be written in English.

The deadline to submit is over !!!

This workshop is ideally the continuation and extension of a track with akin orientation organized within the Second EURAM (The European Academy of Management) Conference held in Stockholm in the first decade of last May 2002. All the information concerning this EURAM Track are placed on line in the following dedicated website: http://www.aegionline.it/euram/euram.html

For we are confident to succeed in building up a significant body of research on Coopetition Strategy, it is our intention to gather a selection of the best papers presented in the Workshop in a book that may be published by a well known international publishing house. The selection of the papers will be made by the Workshop Organizers and is scheduled for the Winter 2005.

ACCEPTANCE

Authors will be notified of provisional acceptance by June 10, 2004. Please note that the final inclusion in the programme will be contingent on receiving the full paper, the abstract and the Workshop registration by July 15, 2004.

The workshop will take place in Catania (Italy), in the School of Economics & Business of the University of Catania (Palazzo delle Scienze), Corso Italia, 55, I-95129, Catania

Please note that the academic programme will start in the beginning of the afternoon on Thursday, September 16 and is scheduled to end in the late afternoon of on Friday, September 17, 2004.

During the following weekend days, the Workshop participants are encouraged to visit the City of Catania and its environs and to enjoy the Southern European and pleasant atmosphere of the island of Sicily located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea.

If you are interested in learning more about Sicily, may we suggest you to download the file (click HERE to download it)containing some historical, geographical and archeological information.

ACCOMMODATION :

We recommend you to arrange your accommodation in Catania as soon as possible and certainly not after July 10th, 2004. Demand for hotels is rather high.

In order to take advantage of the special rates indicated on the document, at the moment you make your reservation you are required to specify that you are going to participate to a Conference organized by the University of Catania. Therefore, you retain the right to receive the fares reported in the agreement between the mentioned hotels and the University of Catania.

Payment receivedBefore August 20, 2004

Payment received
After August 20, 2004

For participants affiliated with an institution that is member or associate member of the EIASM'sAcademic Council

200 € (Exclusive of VAT)

240 € (Exclusive of VAT)

For participants coming from another academic institution

245 € (Exclusive of VAT)

300 € (Exclusive of VAT)

Cancellations made before September 8, 2004 will be reimbursed minus 20% of the total fee. No reimbursement will be possible after that date.